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The Legend of Dragoon
Ideal Equipment FAQ
This FAQ contains spoilers. Continue reading at your own risk.
========== Table of Contents ==========
1. Introduction
2. Revision History/Updates
3. Universal Notes
4. Character Index
4.1 Dart
4.2 Lavitz/Albert
4.3 Shana/Miranda
4.4 Rose
4.5 Haschel
4.6 Meru
4.7 Kongol
5. Item Listings
6. Frequently Asked Questions
7. Credits
8. Legal Stuff
========== 1. INTRODUCTION ==========
~Introductions are just a means of procrastination.~
So, why an ideal equipment FAQ?
Mostly because it is still a popular question asked on the LoD forum, and
whilst typing out pretty much the same reply as I always do, for what felt
like the hundredth time, I started to wonder; is it as set in stone as
I had always imagined?
To be honest, for the most part, it was. Ideal equipment in LoD's case is
pretty universal. The best armour and headgear is applicable for the entire
cast, so the line of questioning kind of grew from there - what else
could work? Is there anything I overlooked?
So with this in mind, I took it to the forum. From the rather limited
response there, I stole the ideas and views of others. (Did I say
stole? Good.) This made the whole FAQ a little more rounded. Only a
little, of course, because my original ideas were all superior. For
a list of those poor souls I ripped off, please check the credits section.
(I kid, but I am very grateful to each person who took the time to share
their opinions. A very, very, very small part of this FAQ is because of
you.... or at least one of the doomed versions was, anyway.)
So, I started first with the perfect set-ups, and this lead to a problem;
sometimes, depending on who you favour, there is not enough equipment to
go around, and other times, not enough cash to purchase that highly priced
top-of-the-line bit of gear. So, for your equipping pleasure, secondary
and alternative solutions have been included.
Now you know why and how. Makes all the difference, huh?
=========== 2. REVISION HISTORY/UPDATES ==========
==== REVISION HISTORY =====
~He who quits in the face of difficulties may be deemed lazy, but
holds up his sanity intact.~
(Yes, the dates are written as we English write them. Not like anyone
checks these anyway, but if confused, just swap the first and second
numbers around.)
The doomed draft:
09/03/04 - Started work on the idea.
12/03/04 - Three days (and several pages) later, system memory wipes
itself. Swore a lot.
The second draft:
14/03/04 - Started again. Paranoia high, back-up floppy employed.
24/03/04 - Computer memory implodes. Disk sitting in drive also wiped.
Is shipped off to a mental ward, claiming that tiny aliens
have infested computer, and are out to get me.
The third draft:
01/04/04 - Shock therapy deemed a success. Released back into the public,
started FAQ again.
02/04/04 - Rewrote the basics of Dart, Shana and Lavitz. Hoped leaving a
sledgehammer within arms reach would inspire system.
11/04/04 - Sanity requires a break. Tightened up various sections.
14/04/04 - Universal notes drafted.
22/04/04 - Rediscovered laziness. Went over FAQ, rewrote Shana's part to
something that made more sense. Did a rough outline of Rose.
25/04/04 - Legal section added, Rose and Haschel finished off, question
and credit sections added.
28/04/04 - Meru written out, to the sound of much rejoicing.
01/05/04 - And so starts the sub sections. F.A.Q section written up.
05/05/04 - Finally found notepad full of notes. After trying to read the
scratching that passes as my handwriting, wrote out the item
lists as best I could.
07/05/04 - In went poor Kongol. Poor, useless Kongol.
12/05/04 - Went to work on grammatical checking. Discovered that I can't
spell.
15/05/04 - Pretty much the finished article.
==== Version 1====
==== UPDATES =====
22/05/04 - Secure in the fact that the work is all but done, checked over
and proofread. Corrected the odd little mistake here and there.
23/05/04 - Discovered I still can't spell when I sent the FAQ to Viridian
Moon to proofread. Grammar and spelling now flawless. (Okay,
maybe less than flawless, since there were so many little mistakes
that VM was bound to miss some.) Thanks, VM! (No, this bit was
*not* added by VM as she went through and proofread. Really.
Promise.)
[EmP's note: Yes. Yes she did. Not for the first or last time, either.]
[VM says: H...hey! Shush, you; they don't know that. And you forgot the
apostrophe. You always forget the apostrophe. Well, I fixed it now.]
==== Version 1.15 ====
03/07/04 - Worked on the dodgy items list, corrected a few incorrect
locations and added in some missed placements. I am now
a lot more confident in the listing correctness. Corrected
the few grammar and spelling mistakes my oh-so modest proofreader
seemingly missed. Speaking of little Miss 'You will give me more
credit, dagnamit, and add my name to the first line of the FAQ,
or face my nagging', she very nicely wrote out the new character
intros for me, and did a very good job at it. Now complete with
pros and cons!
[VM says: Yay, I didn't have to write my own thank-you note this time.
Thanks, by the way. ^^; But, you know, you make so many grammatical errors
that you really couldn't expect me to catch them all...]
==== Version 1.25 ====
10/07/04 - The mystery of Drakes's bandit shoes drop seems solved, and the
relevent information he been added. Also sorted out some rouge
spacings that had gone astray in the last update. All seems well.
I also played with the spacings in some areas, such as the Q&A and
revision history, making everything look that much nicer.
========= 3. UNIVERSAL NOTES =========
~And so it was, in fear of repeating himself, he brought down upon us the
universal notes.~
=== Armour and Headgear Similarities ===
You will notice that all ideal equips have the Legend Casques and Armour
of Legend listed. It's simple why; they can be equipped by all, and are
the best you can get. See? Easy.
The LC seriously boosts your magic defence, and the AoL does the same
thing for you physically. Sounds good, but there *is* a catch - they cost
big. So, unless you hit the sweepstakes, you may find yourself having to
choose between the two.
Always go with the LC above the AoL. Why? Is because I say so not enough?
Fine.
As the game progresses, you will find magic a much bigger threat than
physical attacks. Besides that, DG armour is more than good enough to get
you through the game, so it's no massive deal to swap them out. The LC,
however, will make the last few boss fights a breeze. [VM says: That goes
for the Phantom Shield, too. If you have 10,000 G, *always* go with the
LC. It's just better.]
=== Footwear Similarities ===
Bandit's/Dancer's Shoes are always your best bet, as they give a very
respectable speed boost. Should they not be available (as there's a very
limited number available in the game), the only real replacement is the
Magical Greaves. They give a smaller speed boost, and an addition to
your evade stat.
=== Accessory Notes ===
The Wargod Sash is a handy piece of equipment to use when trying to level
up your Dragoons, as it increases the SP you gain.
Both the Phoenix Plume and the Rainbow Earrings are helpful for blocking
out those pesky status changes.
========== 4. CHARACTER INDEX ==========
~After much unnecessary gibberish, the FAQ makes a vain attempt at
validity.~
===== 4.1 DART =====
::Intro
Dart is LoD’s main character. For the past five years, he’s been on a quest
to find and slay the Black Monster, who destroyed his hometown of Neet when
he was five. He made his home in the small village of Seles with Shana then,
eighteen years before the start of the game. When he finally returns to
Seles, however, he finds it burnt and his childhood friend, Shana, gone. His
quest begins when he sets out to rescue her from Hellena Prison. He’s
your typical heroic protagonist, a little short on brains but a good person
at heart. Like most leads, he will never leave your party. He’s
twenty-three years old.
His element is fire, the opposite of which is water, Meru’s element. He’s
balanced, but while this means he has no weaknesses, it also means he has
no strengths.
Pros:
* No real weaknesses
* Dragoon transformation becomes vastly more powerful near the end of the
game
* Gets his DS early
Cons:
* No real strengths
* You can’t swap him out of your party
* His special interferes with Meru (and vice versa), who is widely
recognized as the best character in the game
::Equips
Weapon: Soul Eater
Armour: Armour of Legend
Headgear: Legend Casque
Legwear: Bandit's Shoes
Accessory: Therapy Ring
::Secondary
Weapon: Claymore
Armour: Red-Eye DG Armour
Headgear: Knight's Helm/Dragon Helm
Legwear: Magical Greaves
Accessory: Physical Ring/Phantom Shield
::Evaluation
Remember, you are stuck with Dart throughout the game, so it is wise to
suit him up as best you can.
There are mixed views on Dart's best weapon. The Soul Eater is the more
powerful by a large margin, but eats 10% of Dart's max HP per round. This
can be countered with the Therapy Ring, which cancels this out, seeing as
it regains 10% of the user's max HP per round. So, as Dart can now happily
smack large chunks of damage out of those naughty swines who get in his way
without being slowly killed, it's a good thing, right? Well, yes, but it
also neutralises the accessory slot. If you want an active accessory, you
have two choices; you can use something over the Therapy Ring and heal Dart
up a lot as he loses hit points like it's a new fad, or you downgrade your
sword to something less dramatic without the rather harsh side effect. Now,
the Claymore is considerably less powerful than the Soul Eater, but the
only way it's going to take HP off you is if you stab yourself with it.
This weakens you, but frees you up for a handy accessory. Which is better
is debatable and is best left up to your personal preference.
If you can't afford both the LC and AoL, the Red Eye DG Armour can be
adequately swapped for the AoL. It may not be quite as good at stopping
physical damage dead in its tracks, but it does absorb fire-based damage,
which can help. Should the LC be out of bounds, the Knight's Helm is
Dart's best piece of shop-bought equipment. However, the Dragon's Helm
is worth considering, seeing as it increases Dart's HP by half again.
Bandit's Shoes would be a valuable addition to Dart's equipment, but they
can be better used on every other male cast member. If your team is set up
so that you have no males bar Dart, then by all means, give them to Dart. If
not, Magical Greaves will do just fine. [VM says: Yeah, you should give
speed-boosting items to whoever does the most damage or whoever will benefit
most from it (Kongol, for example, gets twice as many turns with the ring
and the Magical Greaves than he does without any). Dart's speed is okay, and
his damage is usually mediocre when compared to some/I think most of the
other males, so he's not really a good choice for the speed-increasing
stuff.]
Now, had you decided to go the Soul Eater route, you'd be suicidal not to
use the Therapy Ring. However, with the Claymore, his accessory slot remains
open, which gives you a lot of options. For starters, you can just keep the
Therapy Ring; this way, having to heal Dart will become a rarity, as
defending alone recharges a respectable chunk of health. Giving him
something like the Physical Ring may also be helpful; the same
can be said of the Dragon Helm, which has the same benefit. Phantom Shields
may also be handy as they decrease damage by 50%, but they are pricey, so
should only be included by the rich and loaded. [VM says: I know I said this
in the notes section, but Legend Casque > Phantom Shield, particularly in
Dart's case. The LC boosts magic attack in addition to magic defense, and
you're probably going to be using Dart's Dragoon a lot in the final battle,
so more power is a plus. If you can afford both, yippee, but that seems
doubtful. Go with the LC.]
::Lavitz/Albert::
::Intro
Lavitz is a loyal knight of Serdio, friend to the king, who he taught to use
the spear. He was the head of a prominent company of knights in the Basil
military before they were captured and brought to Hellena Prison. Lavitz,
the only survivor, met up with Dart during his escape. He’s down-to-earth,
cheerful, and, on the whole, the kind of guy you’d want your daughter to
date. [EmP's note: VM's words - not mine.]
On the other hand, Albert, is the rightful king of all Serdio. The country
split when his uncle, Doel, murdered his father in a bid for the throne.
Albert is an intellectual, ever curious about the world around him.
And he's quite the bishie. ^~ [EmP's note: Yes, VM wrote this,
too.]
Their element is wind, the opposite of which is earth, Kongol’s element.
Paired with Rose, they make what is widely acknowledged to be the best team
for beginners.
Pros:
* Rose/Blossom Storm, quite possibly the most useful Dragoon spell in the
game. It halves all damage your characters take for three turns.
[EmPs note: Agreed, best spell in the game.]
* High physical attack
* High physical defense
* High HP
Cons:
* Low speed (second lowest in the game)
* Low magical defense
::Equips
Weapon: Halberd
Armour: Armour of Legend
Headgear: Legend Casque
Legwear: Bandit's Shoes
Accessory: Bandit's Ring
::Secondary
Weapon: Partisan
Armour: Jade DG Armour
Headgear: Knight's Helm/Phoenix Plume
Legwear: Magical Greaves
Accessory: Therapy Ring
::Evaluation
The Halberd reigns supreme in the world of pikes. Lavitz/Albert's second
strongest weapon, the Partisan, has no traits that make it worth using above
it.
The AoL can be dropped for the Jade DS Armour, which will absorb Wind
attacks in exchange for not stopping physical attacks as effectively.
The LC's an excellent piece of equipment to have on Lavitz/Albert. He has a
very healthy amount of HP, but his magic defence is low enough for it to be
worn down rather quickly. If you can't get one, then his best mundane helmet
would be the Knight's Helm. Should you want something a little more mystic,
then the Phoenix Plume may be worth a try. His HP is high enough that it
doesn't really need boosting, and the plume will pretty much nullify all
status aliments.
If you only have one pair of Bandit's Shoes, and Lavitz/Albert is in your
first choice squad, this is where they should go.
As the shoes suggestion says, this guy has a speed problem. Not so much the
illegal kind; it's more the less-pace-than-grandpa kind. Having a well-paced
Lavitz helps a great deal. You get more big hits in, you have more
opportunity to cast the most useful spell in the game, and you don't
scream at him to hurry the hell up and have to endure weird looks. With this
in mind, the Bandit's Ring is a handy piece of equipment too, boosting that
speed all the more. Should you find that the Bandit's Shoes work well
enough alone, then Lavitz, thanks to his high HP, is the perfect candidate
for the oft-mentioned Therapy Ring. With as much HP as he has, giving him
a little boost pretty much gets rid of any real need for healing him.
===== 4.3 SHANA/MIRANDA =====
::Intro
Shana, the game’s female, is Dart’s childhood friend and love interest.
She’s lived in Seles with Dart since she was a baby.
She’s sweet, naïve and innocent, and she has a tendency to be rather
dependent on Dart, who she’s in love with. She’s eighteen years old.
Miranda is Shana’s complete opposite. Tough-talking and often harsh, she
doesn’t take crap from anyone, and often slaps people who irritate her with
their helplessness or incapacity to function in times of crisis. She’s the
First Sacred Sister of Mille Seseau, the adopted child of Queen Theresa.
Their element is light, the opposite of which is darkness, Rose’s element.
Don’t underestimate them or write them off because of their pathetic
physical damage; they rock with attack items. They’re good characters, you
know.
Pros:
* Highest magic stats in the game; wreaks havoc with attack items,
especially the Psychedelic Bomb X
* Best (the only useful, really) dragon summon in the game [EmP's
note: By far.]
* Highest HP of the three girls
* Second highest speed in the game
* Best at healing
Cons:
* No Additions
* Lowest attack in the game; physical damage is just pitiful
* Little attack magic; attack items are a must
* Low defense
::Equips
Weapon: Detonate Arrow
Armour: Armour of Legend
Headgear: Legend Casque
Legwear: Dancer's Shoes
Accessory: Therapy Ring
::Secondary
Weapon: Arrow of Force
Armour: White-Silver DG Armour
Headgear: Magical Hat/Dragon Helm
Legwear: Magical Greaves
Accessory: Phantom (Dragon) Shield/Amulet
::Evaluation
The Detonate Arrow is really beyond dispute. It's the most powerful bow,
costs nothing and has multi-targeting. I dare you to find better... The
other possible choice is the Arrow of Force. It hits for less, is single
targeting, and doesn't sound as good. It does, however, give 50% more SP
than regular weapons, of which the Detonate Arrow is one, and you can get
your hands on it before the very end of the game.
As always, the AoL can be swapped for Dragoon Armour without a huge loss.
White-Silver DG Armour in this case, of course. White-Silver DG Armour also
absorbs holy/light attacks. As always, the LC is the more vital of the two.
If LC is to be swapped, I would suggest the Magical Hat for the same reasons
I'd suggest the Amulet. Obviously, you only really need one or the other -
overkill does not perfection make.
Shana/Miranda has good speed, but it never hurts to make her faster.
However, you may want to give the Dancer's Shoes to the more needy Rose.
Accessory's give the most scope for customisation. I would want the Phantom
Shield if you find her taking a pounding. Should costs be too much, then a
Dragon Shield will do just as well; Shana's magic defence is quite adequate
(especially when equipped with a LC). However, an Amulet is also a good
choice, as anything that gives you more opportunity to use the awesome
White-Silver Dragon summon is a damn good thing in my eyes. Of course,
if you already have the Magical Hat, there is no need for the Amulet, and
vice versa. If you have the Amulet and can't afford a LC, then the Dragon
Helm would be a good choice.
===== 4.4 ROSE =====
::Intro
Rose is a sharp-tongued warrior whose origins are shrouded in mystery. She
knows a lot about Dragoons, and she guides the party as they discover their
power. She’s cynical and harsh, without humor or mercy, but her fighting
skills are an asset to the party.
Rose’s element is darkness, the opposite of which is light, Shana/Miranda’s
element. She’s best at attacking.
Pros:
* With her ultimate weapon, she does the most damage in the game
* Good attack throughout the game
* Few additions; will probably get her final addition first if you start
using her as soon as you get her
* Comes with her DS
* Many bosses share her element, so she’s often resistant to bosses’ spells
Cons:
* Second lowest HP in the game
* Dragoon magic quickly becomes nearly useless [EmP's note: Although very
handy at the start, it wanes quickly.]
* Few strengths besides attacking
::Equips
Weapon: Dragon Buster
Armour: Armour of Legend
Headgear: Legend Casque
Legwear: Dancer's Shoes
Accessory: Physical Ring
::Secondary
Weapon: Gladius
Armour: Dark DG Armour
Headgear: Dragon Helm/Rose's Hairband
Legwear: Magical Greaves
Accessory: Therapy Ring/Phantom Shield
::Evaluation
Rose gets the Dragon Buster, the sword of swords. Yay! The king of glowy,
powerful swords is ours at last, and it looks cool, too! (Until the battle
graphics make it look like just another rapier - bah.) The Gladius has not
even half the power the Buster has, but it does give the chance for instant
death on pesky random beasties, and you get to use it before the very
end of the game...
Heard this before? AoL is best, is not cheap. Can swap for DG armour. Dark
DG Armour absorbs dark element attacks.
If it's possible for the LC to be second best for someone, it's with Rose.
You see, the poor girl has such a pathetic amount of HP, it's common to feel
sorry for the poor lass. However, the LC should (just about) be first
choice, with the HP boosting Dragon Helm not far behind. If both are out
of reach, then Rose's Hairband is the next best thing - which also blocks
instant death attacks.
If you have Rose on your party, the Dancer's Shoes must be hers! The other
girls outpace her, and she needs the speed boost, otherwise she'll never
live it down. [VM says: It's so worth it to boost her speed as much as you
can; her damage is the highest in the game with the Dragon Buster, so if
she's in your party, she'll definitely benefit from the speed boost more
than Meru or Miranda.]
If you have the LC equipped, you'd be mad not to have the Physical Ring to
try and counteract Rose's low HP - her biggest flaw. If you have the
Dragon's Helm on, then consider perhaps the Therapy Ring or Phantom Shield
to try and keep her health up.
===== 4.5 HASCHEL =====
::Intro
Haschel, a sixty-year-old martial arts expert, hails from Rogue, a small,
out-of-the-way island. Life there was content until Haschel’s daughter,
Claire, ran away after Haschel pushed her too hard in a martial arts
training session; he wanted her to be perfect so he could pass down the
title of master of the Rogue school to her. Regretting his actions, he left
to search for her, and met Dart on his pre-game journey.
Haschel’s element is thunder, which has no opposite. He dishes out damage
and does it fast, but his HP is a little lacking. His Dragoon sucks, but you
won’t be using it much anyway. [EmP's note: It makes him look like Mario
in Dragoon armour... tee hee.]
[VM says: You know, I never thought of it that way. I must admit that Dart
looked like a hybrid MagiTek knight-peacock as the Divine Dragoon, though.]
Pros:
* Third highest speed in the game
* Good physical damage
* No elemental weakness
Cons:
* Crappy Dragoon spell set; all spells are attacks and target only one enemy
* Lowish HP, but still higher than the girls’
::Equips
Weapon: Destroyer Mace
Armour: Armour of Legend
Headgear: Legend Casque
Legwear: Bandit's Shoes
Accessory: Physical Ring
::Secondary
Weapon: Thunder Fist
Armour: Violet DG Armour
Headgear: Soul Headband/Dragon Helm
Legwear: Magical Greaves
Accessory: Magical Ring/Bandit's Ring
::Evaluation
The Destroyers Mace is a handy piece of hardware, as it were. Stand alone,
it is Haschel's most powerful weapon, but it has a handy extra feature. You
see, as Haschy absorbs more punishment, the Destroyer's Mace allows him to
hit harder and harder. Of course, this means that to hit at his maximum
potential, he has to be at death's door, but even when he is at full health,
it still out-hits the Thunder Fist, the only redeeming feature of which is
being elementally based (thunder, of course).
Blah blah blah, AoL good, Violet DG not as good, but acceptable, absorbs
thunder. You will hear this at least twice more. Sorry.
Haschy has not got the best magical defence, so he would benefit from the
LC. Should you not be able to afford it, his Soul Headband will have to do.
It does absorb SP from magical attacks thrown at him, but it's no substitute
for the LC. The Dragon Helm might be useful, but it can be better used
elsewhere.
Haschel can certainly do with the speed boost that the Bandit's Shoes give
him, but not quite as much as either Kongol or Albert, should either be in
your first choice team. The Physical Ring is a good choice for Haschel,
but can probably be used by other cast members more effectively. It's also
pointless to have if you already have the Dragon Helm equipped. If you want
to make use of his Dragoon Magic, then perhaps you should equip him with the
Magical Ring to give them that much needed boost, but you should only really
do so if you often make use of the spells. Should you be out of Bandit's
Shoes, the Bandit's Ring also makes a lot of sense.
===== 4.6 MERU =====
::Intro
Meru is the mandatory cute girl, a hyper, ditzy dancer. She meets the
party in the flower town Donau and joins them as they rescue a friend’s
fiancée, and then stays with them on a hunch that she can do more to help.
She’s curious about love and wants to learn more about it.
Meru’s element is water, the opposite of which is fire, Dart’s element.
Despite the fact that she may look to be a strictly magical character at
first glance, she’ll be doing a lot of physical damage at high levels.
[EmP's Note: All thanks to an awesome final addition percentage.] Her HP and
defense just suck, but it’s not that hard to fix her up. She’s a
speed demon, too. All in all, she’s widely recognized as the best character
in LoD.
Pros:
* Second highest magic stats in the game
* Most useful Dragoon spell set in the game (in VM’s humble opinion); she
has both good attack spells and a good healing spell, but, like everyone
else (except Shana/Miranda), her dragon summon sucks
* Good physical damage at higher levels; highest final addition modifier in
the game
* Highest speed in the game
Cons:
* Lowest HP in the game
* Crappy defense
::Equips
Weapon: Basher
Armour: Armour of Legend
Headgear: Legend Casque
Legwear: Dancer's Shoes
Accessory: Physical Ring
::Secondary
Weapon: Pretty Hammer
Armour: Blue Sea DG Armour
Headgear: Jeweled Crown/Dragon Helm
Legwear: Magical Greaves
Accessory: Amulet/Phantom (Dragon) Shield/Therapy Ring
::Evaluation
The Basher is not only a hammer with a great name (Basher...tee hee), but it
is by far Meru's best weapon. The Pretty Hammer is not nearly as powerful
and is called 'pretty.' Hammers are not supposed to be pretty, dammit! It
does give a boost to your SP though, despite being so 'gorgeous.'
AoL is great, especially for Meru, but as is normal, can be swapped out for
the Blue Sea DG Armour, which absorbs water attacks. However, if you only
have one AoL, and use Meru, then it should go to her.
If the LC should be out of reach, then Meru's best replacement will probably
be the Dragon Helm, which will help boost her rather low HP. [VM says:
Meru's HP is the lowest in the game. That's right; it's lower than Rose's.
You *need* something to bolster it. And, damn, I need to stop using
asterisks so liberally.] Of course, the same could be said for the Physical
Ring, so if you use that instead, then the Jeweled Crown might just have to
do. It not only boosts the magical and physical defence, but gives you SP
every time Meru's hit by magic.
Meru is the quickest in the game, but it is always good to be quicker.
However, any other female cast member could use the Dancer's Shoes a little
more than she could. If she is your female fighter, no problem. Should Rose
or Shana make it in, Magical Greaves on Meru will be fine. [VM says: Unless
you're using a lot of attack items with Miranda, Meru does better with the
speed-boosting stuff than she does. Miranda's natural offences are sadly
lacking, and you're never going to have to heal often enough that Miranda's
naturally considerable speed won't get the job done. I don't really like to
boost her speed, anyway, because then I use more attack items when I really
don't need to. In short, Meru does better with speed-boosting stuff than
Miranda. All in my opinion, of course.]
If you have the LC for Meru (which hopefully you will have), then the
Physical Ring should be first choice for accessory. [VM says: Actually,
you know, I've found the Therapy Ring on Meru to be more effective than
increasing her HP, particularly with the Dancer's Shoes. With that much
speed, she'll have full HP throughout most battles, and you'll almost never
have to heal her. But you mention this in later in the paragraph.] {EmP's
note: Well, thanks; being echo'd is fun.} Meru has pretty much everything
going for her bar HP and physical defence, and boosting her HP by 50% really
helps the poor lass out. She also has a wealth of rather usable magic at her
disposal, so you could maybe even take the Amulet into consideration. It's
always nice to know you have enough MP to go crazy with magical overkill.
Another good call would be the Phantom Shield, which will halve any attack
thrown at her. The Dragon Shield (which halves only the physical attacks) is
also viable. The Therapy Ring is great for a Meru with Dancer's Shoes, as
with the amount of extra turns you get (with her already incredible speed),
you can really rack up a lot of HP.
===== 4.7 KONGOL =====
::Intro
Kongol’s the final party member you recruit. The sole survivor of the
Gigantos, he was taken in by Emperor Doel as a child and raised as a
fighter. He’s the strong and silent type, so no one really knows what
he’s like; he’s your stereotypical big guy.
Kongol’s element is earth, the opposite of which is wind, Lavitz/Albert’s
element. [EmP's note: Sadly, it is commonly believed that Kongol is the
worst pick for your first-time party. See the questions section for
more information on why.] [VM says: EmP's as right as ever. He's dreamy
too.]
Pros:
* Highest HP in the game
* Great physical defense; coupled with his HP, it makes him awesome at
sponging physical hits
Cons:
* Lowest speed in the game
* Lowest magic stats in the game
* Useless spell set; he’s even missing one spell
* Mediocre damage; lowest final addition modifier in the game nullifies high
physical attack
* Quickly becomes obsolete when compared to the rest of the cast
::Equips
Weapon: Indora's Axe
Armour: Armour of Legend
Headgear: Legend Casque
Legwear: Bandit's Shoes
Accessory: Bandit's Ring
::Secondary
Weapon: Great Axe
Armour: Golden DG Armour
Headgear: Giganto Helm, Phoenix Plume
Legwear: Magical Greaves
Accessory: Angel Scarf/Spiritual Ring
::Evaluation
Indora's Axe is a nice bit of equipment. It hits hard, has the possibility
of an instant kill, and is an ancient heirloom. By comparison, though, the
next best thing isn't too bad. The Great Axe is not quite as powerful, but
does give a chance of stun.
Last time - ready?
The AoL is fine, but if on anyone it can be subbed for the next best thing,
it's Kongol. The Golden DG Armour will serve him fine, and the absorbed
Earth damage is a bonus.
(Last AoL-can-be-substituted paragraph - Yeah!)
Sod the second option. Get the LC for Kongol, whose magic defence is woeful.
The only good thing about the Giganto Helm is that it gives you HP for every
magic attack you receive. The problem with that is that he dies in two or
three hard-hitting magic hits, more or less. If you can't get hold of a LC,
then maybe you should go for the Phoenix Plume, and block out some of those
nasty status attacks. [VM says: I just got this from DoI, so kudos to him, but
it's interesting to note that Kongol *with* a LC takes only a little less
damage from magic attacks than Meru *without* one.]
If you insist on using Kongol, give him the bloody Bandit's Shoes! That way,
he may get a blow in before the battle is finished. (I'm not kidding.) [VM
says: I second that.]
========== 5. ITEM LISTINGS ==========
~Here be items. Items of every colour of the rainbow!~
These item locations come under the heading 'probably.'
They were made from various notes I found scribbled down, and memory. If
you spot anything wrong, please let me know.
::Updated 03/7/04
They are much better now; tread without as much fear as before. Any mistakes
that survied, please let me know.
::Updated 10/7/04
Drake's bandit shoes drop seemingly sorted. Information added - see the Q&A
section for details.
Amulet: Accessory (equipped by all) - Doubles MP
* Claim from Martel after collecting 20 Stardusts. (See Stardust notes at
the end of the listings.)
Angel Scarf: Accessory (equipped by all) - Halves magical damage
* Bought from Lohan for 5000G.
Armour of Legend: Armour (equipped by all) - Next to nullifies physical
damage
* Bought from Deningrad for 10,000G.
Arrow of Force: Weapon (equipped by Miranda) - Gains 50% more SP
* Bought from Ulara for 500G.
Bandit's Ring: Accessory (equipped by males) - Increases speed by 20
points
* Found in the home of Gigantos.
* Possible drop after beating Drake the Bandit at Shirley's Shrine.
* Possible drop from Gangsters.
Bandit's Shoes: Footwear (equipped by males) - Increases speed by 20
points
* Found in the Death Frontier
Basher: Weapon (equipped by Meru) - Meru's ultimate weapon
* Bought on the Moon for 500G.
Blue Sea DG Armour: Armour (equipped by Meru) - Nullifies water damage
* Bought from Zenebatos/Moon for 800G.
Claymore: Weapon (equipped by Dart) - Dart's second most powerful
weapon
* Bought on the Moon for 500G.
Dancer's Ring: Accessory (equipped by females) - Increases speed
by 20 points
* Found in Faust's domain.
Dancer's Shoes: Footwear (equipped by females) - Increases speed
by 20 points
* Found in Kadessa.
* Possible drop from Cute Cats.
Dark DG Armour: Armour (equipped by Rose) - Nullifies dark damage
* Bought from Zenebatos/Moon for 800G.
Destroyer Mace: Weapon (equipped by Haschel) - Power goes up as
user's HP goes down
* Bought on the Moon for 500G.
Detonate Arrow: Weapon (equipped by Miranda) - Targets multiple
enemies; Miranda's ultimate weapon
* Found on the Moon.
Dragon Helm: Helmet (equipped by all) - Increases HP by 50%
* Found on the Mountain of the Mortal Dragon.
Dragon Buster: Weapon (equipped by Rose) - Rose's ultimate weapon
* Found on the Moon.
Dragon Shield: Accessory (equipped by all) - Halves physical damage
* Bought from Lohan for 5000G.
Giganto Helm: Helmet (equipped by Kongol) - Gain SP from magical
damage
* Bought from Furni for 200G.
Gladius: Weapon (equipped by Rose) - Chance of instant kill
* Bought from Zenebatos for 400G.
Golden DG Armour: Armour (equipped by Kongol) - Nullifies earth
damage
* Bought on the Moon for 800G.
Great Axe: Weapon (equipped by Kongol) - Chance of stunning the
enemy
* Bought from Zenebatos for 400G.
Halberd: Weapon (equipped by Albert) - Albert's ultimate weapon
* Bought on the Moon for 500G.
Indora's Axe: Weapon (equipped by Kongol) - Chance of instant kill
* Found on the Moon.
Jade DG Armour: Armour (equipped by Albert) - Nullifies wind damage
* Bought from Zenebatos/Moon for 800G.
Jeweled Crown: Helmet (equipped by females) - Gains SP when damaged
magically
* Bought from Deningrad for 200G.
* Possible drop form Lenus (Second encounter).
Knight's Helm: Helmet (equipped by males) - Gains SP from magical
damage
* Bought from Fueno for 150G.
Legend Casque: Helmet (equipped by all) - Next to nullifies magic
attacks
* Bought from Lohan for 10,000G.
Mage Ring: Accessory (equipped by all) - Restores wearer's MP
by 10% each turn
* Found on the Kashua Glacier.
Magical Greaves: Footwear (equipped by all) - Increases speed by
ten and both evasion stats by 5%
* Bought from Ulara for 500G.
Magical Hat: Helmet (equipped by all) - Increases MP by 50%
* Found in Faust's domain.
* Found in Magical City Aglis.
Magical Ring: Accessory (equipped by all) - Increases Magic Attack
* Bought on the Moon for 600G.
Partisan: Weapon (equipped by Albert) - Albert's second most powerful
weapon
* Bought from Vellweb for 400G.
Phantom Shield: Accessory (equipped by all) - Halves all damage
* Bought from Lohan for 10,000G.
* Won from Faust.
Phoenix Plume: Helmet (equipped by all) - Nullifies most status changes
* Found on the Divine Tree.
Physical Ring: Accessory (equipped by all) - Raises HP by 50%
* Claim from Martel after collecting 10 Stardusts. (See Stardust notes at
the end of the listings.)
Pretty Hammer: Weapon (equipped by Meru) - SP gain increases by 50%
* Dropped by Last Kraken (boss) in Aglis.
Red Eye DG Armour: Armour (equipped by Dart) - Nullifies fire damage
* Bought from Zenebatos/Moon for 800G.
Rainbow Earring: Accessory (equipped by all) - Blocks all status changes
* Claim from Martel after collecting 40 Stardusts. (See Stardust notes at
the end of the listings.)
Rose's Hairband: Helmet (equipped by Rose) - Nullifies instant death attacks
* Found in Vellweb.
Spiritual Ring: Accessory (equipped by all) - Increases magic defence
* Bought from Moon for 600G.
Soul Eater: Weapon (equipped by Dart) - Dart's best weapon; consumes 10% of
HP each turn
* Fort Magrad, after defeating the Poulter Armour.
* Rare drop for Loner Knights on the moon.
Soul Headband: Helmet (equipped by Haschel) - Gains SP from magical damage
* Bought from Deningrad for 200G.
* Possible drop from Gehrich.
Therapy Ring: Accessory (equipped by all) - Restores 10% of HP each turn
* Found in Hellena Prison (second visit)
* Behind Faust's shade in Flanvel Tower.
Thunder Fist: Weapon (equipped by Haschel) - Thunder-elemental
* Bought from Ulara for 450G.
Violet DG Armour: Armour (equipped by Haschel) - Nullifies thunder
damage
* Bought on the Moon for 800G.
Wargod Sash: Accessory (equipped by all) - Raises SP gainage by 50%
* Claim from Martel after collecting 30 Stardusts. (See Stardust
notes at the end of the listings.)
White-Silver DG Armour: Armour (equipped by Miranda) - Nullifies holy/light
damage
* Found by the Divine Tree.
===== Notes on the Stardust Equipment =====
For help on collecting Stardust, I recommend Grand Lethal's rather good
Stardust FAQ, also to be found on www.gamefaqs.com. Not only is it a
great help, but I get paid to plug it. Or should do, anyway.
========== 6. CREDITS ==========
~Those who did as little as possible, but will still whine if not noted.~
My thanks go to:
Asgard, Digitech X, Dragoon Braska, Dragoon of Infinity,
Jial Silverthorn, TopVideoGamer and Viridian Moon for their contributions
in the Best Equip topic on the LoD board. TVG in particular for constantly
forgetting Hachels ultimate weapon - Destroyers Mace, TVG; destroyers mace.
Wolf Queen for spotting those pesky typos that me and VM missed. Curse
you typo monkey! A curse on you and your kind!
Dchrist for his exhustive testing on the Bandit Shoes drop from Drake.
Good work, there!
In addition to giving her thoughts on equipment in the topic on the LoD
board, VM also proofread this FAQ. She corrected grammar and spelling,
numbered the individual character sections in the character index, added
some notes about some of the equipment, corrected several errors in the
item listing, added a few bits of information to the item section (what type
of equipment it is, who can equip it, speed/evasion increases for
Dancer's/Bandit's Shoes/Ring and Magical Greaves), wrote out the character
intros with pros and cons, plus improved some of the general layout of the
FAQ. A big thanks goes to VM!
[EmP's note: Guess who wrote (and exaggerated) her own credit note whilst
proofreading? Think ego - think VM.]
If I missed someone, let me know.
========== 7. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ==========
~People flock from all around to bathe in the light of my knowledge.~
Q: What team do you prefer yourself?
A: Hmm... Toughie. Dart, obviously, and probably Albert (Rose Storm is the
most useful spell in the game, bar none) and Meru (who, at full Additions
can not only outhit most the cast, but is super-quick, and has great
magic). Any combination works, but I would suggest steering clear of
Kongol. [VM says: I like either Meru/Albert or Meru/Miranda. Just because
it's fun to watch Miranda do uber damage to bosses. I'm going to try out
Meru/Haschel sometime, though, because while Albert is great, he's pretty
slow.]
Q: Who is the best person in the party?
A: Probably a well-leveled Meru. You may need to compensate for the lack of
HP, but she holds all the skills to make her the most valuable member.
[VM says: No probably about it. Meru rocks.]
Q: Why do you always put Kongol down?
A: Nothing personal. He is just overshadowed by every other party member. He
has crap magic defence, so his huge HP is soon whittled down and is not the
game's heavy hitter as one would think from looking at his attack stat. He
is in fact outhit by the end of the game by Meru, (MERU!) thanks to a crap
final addition modifier, and he's slower than a successful search for
'weapons of mass destruction.' So, there are not many positive things to
say about the big lug. [VM says: Sadly, his backstory is probably one of the
strongest in the game, as you so often say, EmP. Other than that, though,
yeah, he sucks. Steer clear. And I would also like to clarify that he gets
outhit by Meru hit-for-hit, not even considering that she gets two and a
third hits to his one.]
Q: Why is the Bandit's Shoes drop for Drake the Bandit not marked?
A: For a long time, it has been believed as fact that this drop does occur.
It was listed in other FAQs, and remained unchallanged. It was only when
a few of us became a little suspicious and decided to see how many players
had actually got the said boots we found that none of us had. Up stepped
DChrist on the forums who tested the theory exhaustively. Long story short,
after testing that spanned from the PSX to an Emulator, and even after
poor Drake got his head kicked in well over 100 times, still no shoes. And
that's enough proof for me.
[VM says: Well,the original rumour according to GL and a couple other people
who really may have got them claim it's actually possible to get them, just
really, really rare. If it's true, it's not worth it, folks; he drops the
ring much more often, so just go with that if you HAVE to get an item
from him.]
[EmP's note: S'ok, VM. I'll fix that incorrect spacing for you.]
Q: Where can I get <insert item name here>?
A: Check the Item Listings.
Then check a FAQ that did not do a dodgy job of item searching.
Then mock my incompetence - although this latest update has gone a long
way into sorting out the mistakes that did plauge the list.
Q: Why have you never mentioned Wargod Calling/Ultimate Wargod?
A: Because it's a waste of an item. The Calling gives you no SP, does not
build your addition levels, and only hits for half the damage. The
Ultimate may do your additions for you fully, but what's the point?
With practise, additions are easily grasped. If you have major problems,
then by all means, use them, but you are missing out on something that
could make your character so much more effective. [VM says: Casques >>>
Ultimate Wargods.]
Q: Will Shana/Miranda ever have additions?
A: No. Never. The amount of SP she gains after each hit does climb with
each Dragoon level, though.
Q: Is the rumour that you can double your inventory capacity true?
A: Yes and no.
Yes, such an item exists. It is called the Shiny Bag, and can be found
in Dabias's Underground Adventure. However, unless you have a Pocket Station
and the Japanese copy of LoD, you can't get it.
Q: I disagree with <insert character set up>.
A: Fine, send in what you would prefer, and maybe I'll add it in. You'll
even make the credits. EmPleh16@aol.com is my current E-Mail, please
label your E-Mail as pertaining to this FAQ though.
Q: How do I obtain the Stardust items?
A: See the Stardust notes in the items section.
Q: Have you done any other FAQs?
A: No. You see, hard works sucks. It sucks, it really sucks, and I hate
it. I have a half-completed "Shining in the Darkness" FAQ, and I like
to kid myself sometimes that I'll finish it. This'll probably be all I do.
Q: Did you really have to start the FAQ again twice?
A: Yes. Yes, I bloody did. Too many corrupt saves, and not enough written
FAQ makes EmPy's urge to kill rise through the roof.
========== 8. LEGAL STUFF ==========
~I knew all those years in law school would pay off.~
(C) Copyright 2004-2005 EmPleh
This FAQ, in part or entirety, is copyright to EmPleh. [VM says: Except for
the bits I did. They're mine. Mine!][EmP's note: Nope, they are mine too.
not like you did much, you harpy!]
As a whole, or in part, the FAQ cannot be used outside the websites
designated by myself only. It can only be used for personal use, and
not in any capacity outside that.
This FAQ cannot be placed anywhere without my permission. Should it be
seen anywhere else, please contact me on Empleh16@aol.com.
Should you wish for this FAQ to grace your site, then as long as full
credit is given and permission is asked, it will most likely be acceptable.
Current permissible sites:
www.Gamfaqs.com
www.HonestGamers.com
===== Bonus: Self Promotion =====
The handful of reviews and Gamefaq/HG affiliated work both me and VM have done
can be found here and here.
EmPleh: http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/recognition/30803.html
http://www.honestgamers.com/mini/index.php?username=EmP
Viridian Moon:
http://www.honestgamers.com/mini/index.php?username=viridian_moon
http://viridianmoon.deviantart.com
Yes, mine are better by far, but the poor girl tries.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Intellectual property of EmPleh. Sub-edited by Viridian Moon.
Dedicated to the large chunk of sanity I lost around about the time
of the third rewrite. It's not like I had much left to spare.
~A word from our sponsers~
Dart: "That fire puts me in the mood to do it!"